Our view: A year without a single fire death

It's been five years since we could lay claim to that distinction. And while some of it is just pure luck, we'd like to credit the Monroe Fire Department with its Class 1 rating for laying the groundwork that helped, we're sure, save lives.

If you look back through our news archives for the year, you'll see an ongoing distribution of free smoke alarms, and even installation for those who needed an extra hand.

You'll see a strong public education effort, including puppet shows for schoolchildren and a poster contest. Fire Prevention Week had a host of activities.

There was a citywide fire drill, and encouragement for people to think about how not only to leave their homes in case of a fire but also their places of business.

Monroe Fire Chief Terry Williams said the fire department plans to duplicate the success of 2013 and not have any fire-related deaths in the coming year.

"This is the first time in well over five years that we have not had a death, not one single death in the city of Monroe related to fire. I hope the efforts we have put forth have been a contributing factor to that. In 2014, we plan to beef up our efforts to continue this trend," he said.

Williams encouraged Monroe residents to put smoke alarms in their homes and said people who do not have a detector can call the fire department to get one. If you are physically unable to install it, firefighters will come to your home and do it for you.

For those who do have smoke detectors installed in their homes, January is always a good time to mark your calendar to test them and replace batteries or units where needed. It's also a good time to add units if you need to.

Most fire deaths are caused by smoke inhalation, and having detectors placed appropriately in your home so you can be alerted in time to escape is the key to saving lives. Every family also should have an escape plan in case of fire.

We join Chief Williams in hoping we're able to duplicate the record of 2013. Cold weather is prime season for house fires as people use various methods to stay warm, and we encourage particular caution around space heaters and fireplaces.